Good afternoon Deborah-May

Acknowledgement of receipt of Freedom of Information request

I refer to your request received by the Department of Health and Aged Care
(the department) for access to documents under the Freedom of Information
Act 1982 (FOI Act). You have requested access to:

A copy of the MOU signed in 2012, by your Department and the Department of
Defence, which relates to the ‘Medical Countermeasures Consortium’.

The reference number for your request is FOI-5269. Please ensure that you
quote this number in future correspondence with us concerning this
request.

Timeframes

Your request was received on 14 July 2024. The statutory timeframe for
processing your request is 30 calendar days and you should expect to be
notified of a decision from the department on or before 13 August 2024.
The period of 30 days may be extended if the department needs to consult
third parties or for other reasons. We will advise you if this happens.

Other information

The department may impose a charge for the work involved in providing
access to the documents. If this request attracts a charge you will be
notified in writing.

Unless you advise otherwise:

·         any draft and duplicate documents will be excluded from the
scope of your request, and

·         any public service employee names below Senior Executive Service
level and direct telephone numbers of all staff will be excluded from the
scope of your request under s22(1)(a)(ii) of the FOI Act.

Please note that information released under the FOI Act may later be
published online on our disclosure log
[1]www.health.gov.au/resources/foi-disclosure-log, subject to certain
exceptions. (For example, personal information will not be published where
this would be unreasonable.)

You can contact the FOI team via email at [2][email address] or by phone
on 02 6289 1666, should you have any questions.

 

Kind regards,

 

Case Officer – Freedom of Information Section

Legal Advice and Legislation

Legal Division | Corporate Operations Group

Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care

T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [3][email address]

PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges the traditional owners
of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land,
sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to
elders both past and present

 

 

 

 

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Good afternoon Deborah-May

 

I refer to your request to the Department of Health and Aged Care (the
department) of 14 July 2024 seeking access to the following under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act):

 

                A copy of the MOU signed in 2012, by your Department and
the Department of Defence, which relates to the ‘Medical Countermeasures
Consortium’.

 

The statutory due date for your request is currently 13 August 2024.

 

Request for extension of time

 

Section 15AA of the FOI Act permits the department to extend the statutory
processing timeframe, with your agreement, for a period of up to 30
calendar days.

 

The department is in the final stages of the decision making process
however, to ensure that department has undertaken all reasonable steps to
identify all documents relevant to your request, and for the decision
maker to make a well-balanced decision on access to any such documents
identified, the department is seeking your agreement to an extension of 10
calendar days.

 

If you agree to this extension, the statutory due date will then be 23
August 2024. The department will, however, continue to process your
request as quickly as possible.

 

It would assist if you could please advise by close of business 9 August
2024 if you agree to this extension of time. If we do not hear from you by
this date or if you do not agree to the extension, the department may
consider seeking an extension of time from the Office of the Australian
Information Commissioner (OAIC) under section 15AB of the FOI Act.

 

We thank you for your ongoing patience and cooperation as we continue to
process your request.

 

If you have any questions regarding any of the matters discussed in this
email, please do not hesitate to contact the FOI Section at
[1][email address].

 

Kind regards,

 

 

FOI Case Officer – Freedom of Information Section

Legal Advice and Legislation Branch

Legal Division | Corporate Operations Group

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [2][email address]

PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

 

The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges First Nations peoples
as the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, and their
continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to
them and their cultures, and to all Elders both past and present.

 

 

 

 

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References

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2. mailto:[email address]

Good afternoon Deborah-May,

 

We refer to your FOI request received on 14 July 2024.

 

Please find attached a decision on access together with the documents for
release referred to in that decision.

 

If you have any queries in relation to this decision, please contact the
FOI Section on the details below.

 

FOI Case Officer – Freedom of Information Section

Legal Advice and Legislation Branch

Legal Division | Corporate Operations Group

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

T: 02 6289 1666 | E: [1][email address]

PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

 

The Department of Health and Aged Care acknowledges First Nations peoples
as the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia, and their
continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to
them and their cultures, and to all Elders both past and present.

 

 

 

 

 

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